David Russel Barnard

BARNARD, David Russel

War
2nd Word War
Date of Birth
Original Unit
SQUADRON No. 419 - Group 6 RAF Bomber Command
Rank
Pilot Officer
Date of Death
Age at Death
26
Cemetery
Durnbach War Cemetery
Cenotaph
Brussels Cenotaph
Biographical Summary

NAME BARNARD David Russel
RANK Pilot Officer / Royal Canadian Air Force
Air Gunner /
Wireless Operator
SQUADRON No. 419 “Moose” Squadron.
“beware of the moose”
Group 6 RAF Bomber Command.
Middleton St. George in Durham.
Squadron Markings VR
AGE 26 August 26, 1944 J 92354
CEMETERY Durnbach War Cemetery.
Durnbach - Gmund am Tegersmee - Gemany
5 H 16-18
WIFE Mrs. Lillian Barnard - Bluevale
PARENTS Mr. & Mrs. Edward Barnard - Bluevale
• David was born in Jamestown on April 19, 1918. He took his schooling at Bluevale public and his high
schooling at Wingham High School.
• He enjoyed softball, hockey, basketball, football, boxing and wrestling.
• He was employed as a labourer and then a mill hand before he enlisted in London on April 21, 1941. His
training was at the Manning Depot, Toronto, Guelph and then Penfield Ridge.
• The target for this mission was Russelheim in Germany. It was this location where the Opal motor factory
was located.
• Bomber Command had the feeling that these particular factories were producing the V weapons and 2
precision attacks were made on this target.
• Bomber Command had detailed 18 aircraft from the squadron for this mission.
• The weather was fair when KB 775 “Y” was airborne at 19:58 hours on August 25th and on the way to the
target they encountered heavy opposition from flak and night fighters. The target was to be bombed from
17,000 feet.
• Pilot Officer Barnard and his crewmates in Lancaster KB 775 collided with a second aircraft just as they
began their bombing run. The aircraft began to fall out of control and the “bail out” order was given, and it
broke apart as it fell to the ground below. This aircraft crashed into a small forest 1 ½ miles w of the village
of Unter-Eisesheim and 4 ½ miles n of Heilbronn and that was located 24 miles n of Stuttgart. They crashed
at 00:45 hours and the aircraft was in flames with the full bomb load on board. After the crash and
explosion the crater measured 45x100 feet.
• This particular aircraft had 64 hours of flying time on it when it crashed.
326